La Cuarenta
40 1.jpg 40 2.jpg 40 3.jpg 40 4.jpg Introduction So, when the Chileans have their Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, the Argentines respond with the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. The hiking in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine is oft compared with those in the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares around El Chaltén. The same can be said with the Chilean lakes. Chile has Puerto Varas and Frutillar, Argentina has San Carlos de Bariloche and Villa la Angostura. Chile has the Siete Lagos area, Argentina has the Ruta Siete Lagos between Villa la Angostura and San Martín de los Andes. So what does Argentina have in response to Chile's Carretera Austral? They have the Ruta Nacional Nº 40, or La Cuarenta. Running through the length of the country, just East of the Andes, from the Bolivian border near La Quiaca, all the way down to El Calafate and Río Gallegos in the country's Deep South. La Cuarenta has become synonymous with the intrepid traveller, even though the region around the central Cuyo provinces consists of paved road. The rest, is much like the Carretera Austral, challenging and desolate in parts. Things to Do *El Calafate and Perito Moreno Glacier *El Chaltén and Parque Nacional Los Glaciares *UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cueva de las Manos *Parque Nacional Perito Moreno *Remote Estancias *Calchaquí Valleys *San Carlos de Bariloche and Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi *Mendoza and the surrounding Wine Country *UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ischigualasto Valley Practicalities Any traveller down La Cuarenta needs to be well prepared, with accommodations and supplies few and far between, bicyclists and motorcyclists must carry tents and cold-weather gear, even in midsummer, and plenty of food. Detailed maps, like the Automóvil Club Argentino’s newest regional sheets, are essential. Extra fuel is also essential - between El Calafate and Perito Moreno, the only dependable supplies are at El Chaltén (a 90 kilometre detour), Tres Lagos, Gobernador Gregores (a 70 kilometre detour), and Bajo Caracoles. Note that even Bajo Caracoles some times runs out of supplies. Road hazards are numerous. Bicyclists and motorcyclists must contend with powerful Patagonian winds that can knock them down in an instant, and deep gravel adds to the danger. Even high-clearance vehicles are vulnerable to flipping on loose gravel, especially when braking suddenly, and 50-knot gusts make things worse. Though four-wheel drive is not essential, some drivers prefer it to avoid fishtailing on gravel. Chipped, cracked, and even shattered windshields are par for the course on Ruta Nacional Nº 40 and other graveled roads. Normally, rental-car insurance policies do not cover such damage, and replacements are expensive in Argentina (though fairly cheap in Punta Arenas, Chile). Approaching vehicles usually brake to minimize the possibility of such damage, but some drivers find they need to play chicken to slow down an onrushing pickup truck or SUV. The big news is that within a few years, thanks to former Santa Cruz governor (later Argentine president) Néstor Kirchner, the segment of Ruta Nacional Nº 40 between El Calafate and Perito Moreno will be entirely paved and may be rerouted to pass through Gobernador Gregores. Hearing that RN 40 will be paved evokes enough nostalgia for a tango, but there will remain plenty of unpaved gravel roads. Getting There & Away There are several airports along the route, including Río Gallegos, El Calafate, Perito Moreno in Santa Cruz province, Esquel in Chubut province, San Carlos de Bariloche in Río Negro, Mendoza in Mendoza province and San Juan in San Juan province. All have frequent flights to and from Buenos Aires. Except for the transport corridor in the North to Mendoza, most inter-city bus routes use the coastal Ruta Nacional Nº 3 to link North to South, even if the La Cuarenta is shorter. The section from Perito Moreno to El Chaltén is the most remote section, with little in the way of public transport. Category:Argentina Category:La Cuarenta